Liquor Industry News

Liquor Industry News 08-25-25

Franklin Liquors

Liquor Industry News

The Wonderful World Of Wine (WWW)

By: Mark C Lenzi

CSW, CSS, CWAS, FWS, IWS*, SWS, OWE, IWM*

08-25-2025

Liquor Industry Week In Review

The Wonderful World Of Wine (WWW)

This Weeks Highlights:

New Products

Busch Light Apple Is the McRib of Beer

U.S. Drinking Rate at New Low as Alcohol Concerns Surge

5 myths about sustainability – busted

What Can Bourbon Distillers Learn From the Last Big Bust?

The bourbon industry is looking at some tough times right now.

https://vinepair.com/articles/bourbon-distillers-learn-from-last-big-bust/

The Main Ingredient in Amaretto Isn’t What You Think It Is

The Italian liqueur is sweet, easygoing, and most would agree that its chief tasting note is almond

https://vinepair.com/articles/amaretto-main-ingredient-not-almonds/

French Bloom, a high-end alcohol-free sparkling wine that’s the most convincing product in this space yet

Non-alcoholic wine is currently a topic of intense interest in the wine industry.

https://wineanorak.com/2025/07/28/french-bloom-a-high-end-alcohol-free-sparkling-wine-thats-the-most-convincing-product-in-this-space-yet/

How to Figure Out When Your Bottle of Chartreuse Was Produced

There’s no question that Chartreuse is a darling of the cocktail world, and for good reason.

https://vinepair.com/articles/chartreuse-code-for-production-date/

Does Sparkling Wine Make You Drunk Faster?

Ever feel like a glass of bubbly hits harder than a glass of red wine?

https://www.raisin.digital/en/news/does-sparkling-wine-make-you-drunk-faster-1066/

These Affordable Bourbons Are Comparable To Pappy Van Winkle And A Fraction Of The Price

If you’re a whiskey drinker, perhaps you’ve heard of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon.

https://www.thetakeout.com/1925892/affordable-pappy-van-winkle-bourbon-alternative/

Are Casamigos and Don Julio really 100% agave? New lawsuits say no

Diageo, one of the world’s largest alcoholic beverage companies, is facing two class-action lawsuits alleging that it deceptively marketed its popular tequila brands Casamigos and Don Julio as “100% agave” while allegedly including non-agave-derived alcohol in the products.

https://ktla.com/news/nationworld/casamigos-don-julio-lawsuits/

What Does It Mean to Order a Martini ‘Naked?’

But there’s another, less common, Martini order that’s sure to turn heads at the bar: the Naked Martini.

https://vinepair.com/articles/martini-naked-explainer/

The Science of Blending Wine

Blending wine is about much more than combining different grape varieties—it can impact alcohol, color, flavor, and more. Here, researchers and winemakers explain the science behind this important winemaking process

https://daily.sevenfifty.com/the-science-of-blending-wine/

Leftover wine is your kitchen’s secret weapon — here’s how to use it

There’s always a reason for wine

https://www.themanual.com/food-and-drink/what-to-do-with-leftover-wine/

This Prized Champagne Has Been Involved in Not One, but Two Historic Shipwrecks

Prior to the advent of aviation, traveling by way of the sea was the primary method of transportation for people and for goods.

https://vinepair.com/articles/1907-heidsieck-co-shipwrecked-champagne/

One Of The Best Dry White Wines For Cooking Is A Lighter Variety

One of the reasons Brian Streeter says that sauvignon blanc is so ideal to cook with is because it lacks oakiness which can interfere with flavors in a dish

https://www.foodrepublic.com/1927632/best-dry-white-wine-cooking/

Big Wine Backing Away From the Entry Level Should Worry the Entire Industry

A spicy rumor riled up the wine industry earlier this year: Constellation Brands wanted out. And not just a few labels here and there: the whole kit and caboodle.

https://vinepair.com/articles/constellation-wine-selloff-industry-indications/

How Protectionist Wine and Liquor Laws Violate the Constitution

The Commerce Clause protects free trade between the states.

https://reason.com/2025/08/07/how-protectionist-wine-and-liquor-laws-violate-the-constitution/

We Asked A Wine Shop Owner What To Buy If You Know Nothing About Wine

Listening to wine connoisseurs talk about all the things that make the boozy nectar superb makes me feel inept.

https://www.thetakeout.com/1932659/what-to-buy-at-wine-shop-beginner-expert/

Global Demand for Organic Wine is Rising

The main drivers of growth are an increasing health consciousness among consumers, a growing interest in environmental compatibility, and a rising focus on quality and naturalness in food and beverages.

https://magazine.wein.plus/news/global-demand-for-organic-wine-is-rising-study-growth-potential-of-around-10-annually

How High Will Tariffs Go on Imported Wine?

The U.S. government has implemented steeper duties on many foreign wines, with no sign of relief for wine importers or consumers

https://www.winespectator.com/articles/higher-tariffs-hit-imported-wines

Tariffs could cost alcohol industry US$2bn in sales, Trump warned

A 15% US tariff on EU goods could slash alcohol sales by nearly US$2 billion and threaten 25,000 American jobs, industry leaders have warned in a letter to President Donald Trump. With the festive season looming, the pressure is mounting for a deal.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/08/tariffs-could-cost-alcohol-industry-us2bn-in-sales-groups-warn-trump/

The Best Cheeses for White Wine: A French Approach

Few pairings evoke as much romance, memories, and reverence as wine and cheese.

https://bottlebarn.com/blogs/news/pairing-white-wine-with-cheese-french-approach

New Jim Beam

Suntory Global Spirits has added a new, cocktail-focused Bourbon to the Jim Beam brand. Jim Beam Sunshine is bottled at 40% abv and is meant to be an approachable blend with the company pitching it as ideal for sipping chilled, over ice, or in Highballs. Sunshine, according to Suntory, is aimed at drinkers looking to make lighter, more sessionable cocktails, and is made from a blend of 65% 4-year-old flagship Jim Beam Bourbon and 35% Bourbon made from a mash of 55% corn, 35% brown rice, and 10% malted barley. The new release is available across the U.S. and carries a suggested price of $20 a 750-ml. Last year, Jim Beam was at 5.5 million cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

Will Portugal authorize new Defensor grape?

Planting disease-resistant hybrid grapes is still banned in Portugal, but one region is “breaking the taboo” by pushing for authorisation of the white Defensor variety, db can reveal.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/08/will-portugal-authorise-new-defensor-grape/

Yellowstone debuts bottled Bourbon cocktails

Kentucky distillery Limestone Branch has launched a range of ready-to-serve (RTS) Bourbon-based cocktails for its Yellowstone brand.

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/08/yellowstone-debuts-bottled-bourbon-cocktails/

Jamie Goode: Has wine lost its cool – for good?

Wine is in the middle of an existential crisis.

https://winemag.co.za/wine/opinion/jamie-goode-has-wine-lost-its-cool-for-good/

Can You Get Drunk on Nonalcoholic Beer? Here’s Everything You Need to Know

NA beer vs. blood alcohol – this is what the science says.

https://www.foodandwine.com/nonalcoholic-beers-before-drunk-11784752

5 myths about sustainability – busted

Sustainability is more than just a buzz word – it’s a crucial issue for the global wine industry and, by extension, for the sommelier community. And yet it’s fiendishly difficult to define, let alone work into a wine program

https://starwinelist.com/wine-story/5-myths-about-sustainability-busted

If You Know, You Know: Discovering Virginia’s Wines One Case at a Time

That’s the way it is with the wines from Virginia.

https://wineeconomist.com/2025/08/05/iykyk/

Will tariffs help or hurt CA’s wine industry?

Amid decreasing demand and rising costs, the U.S. and California wine industry have struggled in recent years.

https://calmatters.org/newsletter/california-wine-industry-newsletter/

Taste the Wine Rainbow

Turns out, there are many different factors that can go into determining whether a brilliant ruby red, a pale golden yellow or mandarin orange shine out at us from the glass.

https://verovino.com/vero-blog/wine-color-red-white-rose-orange-maceration-winemaking

New Beatbox

Wine-based RTD brand Beatbox has launched a new Mystic Grape flavor. The 11.1% abv drink comes in 500-ml. cartons and joins the brand’s wide array of fruit-flavored RTDs. The new flavor is available across the U.S. in over 130,000 retail locations, according to the company. Last year, Beatbox surged nearly 80% to reach 5.4 million cases in the U.S. While typically found in individual 500-ml. cartons, Beatbox is also available in 4-packs and 3-liter boxes, depending on the region and flavor.

Alto Agrelo gains GI status in Mendoza

Alto Agrelo has officially become Argentina’s latest Geographical Indication (GI), following a successful campaign by Grupo Avinea in May 2025.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/08/alto-agrelo-awarded-gi-status-in-mendoza/

Jack Daniel’s launches blackberry flavor

Brown-Forman-owned Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey has added a blackberry flavor to its range.

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/08/jack-daniels-launches-blackberry-flavour/

Is Still Prosecco a Clever Bid or a Branding Blunder?

What is the ultimate motivation behind this perplexing product? And more critically, could this fresh face instead derail the successful sparkling storyline of the Prosecco program?

https://vinepair.com/articles/rise-of-still-prosecco/

Amidst Declining Booze Consumption, Tequila Continues to Rise

As other spirits wane, why is tequila climbing the liquor ladder?

https://www.charlottemagazine.com/amidst-declining-booze-consumption-tequila-continues-to-rise/

How Kentucky bourbon went from boom to bust

As American as apple pie, Kentucky bourbon was booming after the last Great Recession ended. But as the economy has waned post-Pandemic – and with multiple trade wars on the horizon – the market may be drying up.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckglnk6yxlko

US wine trends 2025: premiumisation dominates as volume drops

What’s happening in wine sales in the US mirrors broader economic patterns, with a few key exceptions. The takeaway is that high-end wines are soaring and mid-to-lower-priced wines are tanking. Only it’s not quite that cut and dry. Kathleen Willcox reports.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/08/us-wine-trends-2025-premiumisation-dominates-as-volume-drops/

Class of 2025: EU approves three new grape varieties

We could soon be hearing much more about Calardis Blanc, Magdeleine Noir and Négret de la Canourgue, as the three varieties have officially been added to the list of authorised grape varieties in the European Union.

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2025/08/class-of-2025-eu-approves-three-new-grape-varieties/

Etna’s Climb to DOCG

As Etna looks increasingly likely to claim DOCG status, the region’s producers reflect on what that means.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2025/08/etnas-climb-to-docg

Top 10 Japanese winemakers producing wine in France

The Japanese fascination with French wine heritage is nothing new.

https://www.idealwine.info/top-10-japanese-winemakers-producing-wine-in-france/

Five best wine museums to visit in Europe

Planning a trip to a European wine capital?

https://westgarthwines.com/blogs/news/five-best-wine-museums-to-visit-in-europe

Time to Talk About Private Label Wine

Canadian and Australian wine professionals are exercised about the number of wines big retailers currently sell, or may be about to offer, under their own labels.

https://robertejoseph.substack.com/p/time-to-talk-about-private-label?utm_medium=newsletter

U.S. Drinking Rate at New Low as Alcohol Concerns Surge

The percentage of U.S. adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54%, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend

https://news.gallup.com/poll/693362/drinking-rate-new-low-alcohol-concerns-surge.aspx

Woodford Reserve debuts American single malt

The new American single malt (ASM) from Brown-Forman-owned Woodford Reserve is part of the brand’s limited Distillery Series.

https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2025/08/woodford-reserve-debuts-american-single-malt/

The Secret Architecture of Whisky — How Stills Shape the Spirit

The design of the still isn’t random, it’s flavor engineering.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/166672022?utm_medium=ios

8 Legendary Vermont IPAs, Tasted and Ranked

Although the IPA’s roots in America trace back to the West Coast, Vermont has arguably become the IPA capital of the country — and possibly the world — since the craft beer boom of the late ‘90s and early aughts.

https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/popular-vermont-ipas-tasted-ranked/

New Tequila

Heaven Hill’s Tequila Ocho has launched a new Barrel Proof Reposado in limited quantities across the U.S. The 50.5% abv Tequila is distilled from agave grown in Las Raíces and aged for up to six months in what the company calls “overused” American whiskey barrels. For this year, the brand will release 3,095 cases in the U.S., with each bottle carrying a suggested price of $84 a 750-ml. Last year, Tequila Ocho grew 75% to 105,000 cases, according to Impact Databank.

Wine’s Reasons to be Cheerful

The wine industry has been having a tough old time for a couple of years, but the tide may be turning.

https://www.wine-searcher.com/m/2025/08/wines-reasons-to-be-cheerful

FIVS Calls on U.S. to Modernise Wine Labels as Half of All Wine Crosses Borders

Global wine body urges adoption of digital labelling to give consumers clearer information, support sustainability and remove trade barriers.

https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/306881

Stop Your Wine From Going Bad Fast With These Storage Tips

You really can beat the clock when it comes to how long wine will stay fresh.